MARIETTA — “Local utility bills for small consumers may soon see a significant upfront increase due to changes in American Electric Power Ohio’s proposed service plan.

‘If this goes through, as early as this summer customers could see a huge increase on their bills,’ said Rachael Belz, executive director of Ohio Citizen Action.

AEP Ohio has proposed altering mandatory customer charges from $8.40 per month to $13.40 per month this year and to $18.40 per month in 2018.

Four types of charges make up an electric bill including a customer charge, a fixed fee established to pay for the costs associated with electric equipment and maintenance; a distribution service charge, a kilowatt-hour based volumetric charge for delivering electricity to a home, including use of local wires and other equipment to move electricity; a generation service charge, a kilowatt-hour based volumetric charge for the production of electricity; and a transmission service charge, a kilowatt-hour based volumetric charge for moving high-voltage electricity from power plants to the electric company.

Electric distribution in the valley, regardless of provider, comes from AEP Ohio, meaning even those not billed directly by AEP will still have the changes on their bills.”

Clean Energy votes

Members supporting fair electric rates in Ohio as of May 12, 2018

38,157 members have signed our support statement in person at their door.

10,280 Ohio Citizen Action members have sent handwritten letters to their state legislators in support of clean energy.

5,489 Ohio Citizen Action members have called their state legislators, asking them to oppose HB239 and SB 155, the latest coal bailout requests by Duke Energy, FirstEnergy, Dayton Power & Light and American Electric Power.